Andrew Harris runs rampant in Lions' 26-13 win over Roughriders

Outstanding second-half defence helps deliver much-needed victory

B.C. Lions running back Andrew Harris runs in a touchdown after he breaks a tackle from Saskatchewan Roughriders linebacker Weldon Brown during the first quarter of CFL football action in Regina, Sask., Saturday, July 12, 2014.

Photograph by: Liam Richards
, THE CANADIAN PRESS

REGINA — Over the winter, Winnipeg native Andrew Harris set out to find better balance in his life, moving into a condo in downtown Vancouver, starting a second career with North Shore Nissan, connecting with his estranged father.

The B.C. Lion's self-improvement initiative also included achieving better equilibrium as a running back.

On his own, Harris worked with a strength trainer, Matt Harper, at Twist Sport Conditioning in North Vancouver, specifically on drills to improve his ability to stay on his feet while being hit.

"We did a lot of stuff with stability balls, standing one-legged on a balance board, doing core movements in an uncomfortable situation," Harris said following the Lions' 26-13 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders. "That's one thing I wanted to improve on this year."

The proof was there for all to see Saturday at Mosaic Stadium, as the B.C. running back scored on a spectacular 58-yard touchdown in the first quarter by simply refusing to go down.

Harris ran straight up the middle, cut to the outside and somehow maintained his balance with a straight-arm to a defender, who appeared to have him wrestled to the turf. It was the most remarkable, but certainly not the first, of many instances in which Harris bounced off defenders and required a textbook tackle to stop him.

"Andrew's effort was second to none," running backs coach Kelly Bates said. "From upstairs, it seemed our guys made their decisions quickly. And they ran hard. When I came in at halftime, there was blood running down both their noses. Andrew, Stefan (Logan), Rolly (Lumbala), they were all playing as hard as they can."

After two straight losses to start the season, it was as if the Lions collectively said enough is enough.

It was a much improved effort on all fronts, but Harris in particular seemed to be a man on a mission, someone who badly wanted to make a difference.

For a long stretch last season, he was not that guy, and it burned. From July 30 to Oct. 25, he came within 27 yards of a 100-yard game on only one occasion. In a particularly frustrating Oct. 4 contest against the Roughriders, Harris gained just 10 yards on six carries.

He took his grievances to the coaches and they seemed to appreciate they were legitimate. The Lions re-committed themselves to the run game with the arrival of Logan, and the relationship started working almost from the start.

Harris finished the season with rushing games of 102 and 93 yards, the latter coming in a 29-25 semifinal playoff loss to the Roughriders.

Though he had averaged just 3.5 yards on 18 carries in his previous two games this season, the offensive line had not yet begun to jell. With Kirby Fabien starting at guard for the first time in 49 weeks following knee reconstruction and newbie left tackle Ryan Cave showing marked improvement after being rushed into service a week earlier, Harris' job became dramatically easier.

"My game's been kind of stagnant the past two games," he said.

"It's just a confidence thing. Those (offensive line) guys right there are confident now. It's not one guy. It's a unit. It's not one thing. It's everyone working together. Confidence is the biggest thing."

Harris finished the game with 222 all-purpose yards, 138 of those coming on 18 rushing attempts — his second-best career rushing game. He gained 147 yards rushing in a July 6, 2012 game against Hamilton.

Running and receiving, Harris totalled a career-best 203 yards, the first time he has recorded 200-plus yards from the line of scrimmage in a single game. His career high was 181 before Saturday.

"He's a dual threat out of the backfield," quarterback Kevin Glenn said. "He can run the ball and catch the ball. He had a couple of plays where he made catches that receivers probably would miss. When you have a guy like that, you want to go to the well often."

After giving up the ball nine times in their first two starts, which included fumbles by Harris and Logan and six interceptions thrown by Glenn, the Lions completed a near turnover-free game against Saskatchewan. They turned the ball over on downs in the late going, up by 13 points, when it really didn't matter.

"No turnovers — and we win. Do you think there's some kind of correlation there?" Glenn quipped. "We did a very good job of game-planning, putting ourselves in good situations and being positive on first down. We were just a lot more positive and forceful than we have been."

Harris was the perfect kind of back for a team that wanted to vary its attack with a more balanced approach — much like the man himself.

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B.C. Lions running back Andrew Harris runs in a touchdown after he breaks a tackle from Saskatchewan Roughriders linebacker Weldon Brown during the first quarter of CFL football action in Regina, Sask., Saturday, July 12, 2014.

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